Not A Sound
by courtXjester
Summary: Andy's eyes caught sight of his gun. A dark idea crept into Andy’s brain. He crawled over to the firearm. His hand grasped it firmly....." Cliffhangers...don't ya just hate 'em?


Don't know what's going on  
Don't know what went wrong  
Feels like a hundred years I  
Still can't believe you're gone

Andy collapsed to the ground. A dark pool of blood was collecting at his knees. The cowboy, who had discarded the robes of the samurai just days after he had donned them, ran his ungloved hand over the hot flesh of his best companion. Tears were freely falling down from his blue eyes.

"Onyx," he choked out. The horse drew in raspy breaths. Its eyes were wide while pain from four gunshot wounds that had come from a bounty's gun ripped through its powerful body. The body of bounty was lying a few feet away. Andy sobbed, and he tried to mop up the blood with his gloves.

"I'll fix you right up! Just hang in there, pal," he lied to himself and the horse. Onyx's head lifted from the ground. Mournful eyes seemed say, "I know you're lying, but that was sweet just the same."

"I really will fix you! Don't look at me like that! You're going to be alright!" Andy protested. A soft whinny told him otherwise.

Andy's arm seemed to take on a life of its own. He didn't know why his hand was grabbing his gun. With automatic precision, the six-shooter found its way to Onyx's head.

His chest contracted in pain.

Bang.  
So I'll stay up all night

With these bloodshot eyes  
While these walls surround me with the story of our life

Bottles of beer littered the floor of Andy's tacky accommodations. Andy was sprawled across his couch; he was clad in an undershirt and boxers. His clothes were dirty, and he hadn't showered in a few days either. The eyes that stared at the empty stable were dead ones. His ears ached for the sound of his horse snorting, stomping, neighing, munching oats…anything. His eyes roamed around his walls and took in the numerous photographs; they mostly portrayed himself and Onyx. Finding it unbearable to look at the memories on his wall, he curled up, and hugged a pillow. He started to cry silently. The pillow he was crying into was soaked with previous tears.

I feel so much better  
Now that you're gone forever  
I tell myself that I don't miss you at all  
I'm not lying, denying that I feel so much better now  
That you're gone forever

In the weeks that followed Onyx's death, Andy began a self-destructive journey. Without Onyx, he had no sense of responsibility. He didn't have to take time out of his schedule to care for his horse. He tried to make the situation seem bright by reminding himself of this.

"Onyx was just a-just a horse anyway," he'd halfheartedly say to himself. He would throw on semi-clean clothes and aimlessly walk through the city. Always was there a can of beer in his hand, and on a few occasions, a line of fine powder could be seen entering his nostril. Gone was the egotistical, bounty hunting cowboy, here instead was his lonely, miserable shell.   
Now things are coming clear  
And I don't need you here  
And in this world around me  
I'm glad you disappeared  
So I'll stay out all night  
Get drunk and f and fight

Andy strolled into a saloon. He was feeling restless, and he dug his hands through his pockets, trying to find some kind of payment for the bartender. His hands came up empty. He shuffled up to the bar and noticed a rather drunk individual beside him. The drunk had a full glass of beer in front of him. Andy snuck his hand around the handle of the glass and began to pull it towards himself.

"H-hic-ey! What 'er y-hic-doing!" The intoxicated man slurred. Andy punched the man in the face. Andy watched without much emotion as the drunk collapsed off his stool in a state of unconsciousness. The bartender surveyed the scene with a cool air. He didn't mind the act. The drink had already been paid for, so whatever happened to it after that was none of his business.

Andy began to gulp down his stolen beer. When his drink was finished, he started to go through the incapacitated man's pockets. He grunted when he found a wallet that held some cash. After stretching his arms he walked out of the bar.  
Until the morning comes I'll  
Forget about our life

I feel so much better  
Now that you're gone forever  
I tell myself that I don't miss you at all  
I'm not lying, denying that I feel so much better now  
That you're gone forever

The depressed bounty hunter spent the rest of the night in a facility called "Red Lights." His lady of the night had an obviously fake name that he quickly forgot. He kept himself occupied so there would be no time to think about past events.

First time you screamed at me  
I should have made you leave  
I should have known it could be so much better

In the morning he woke up in an alley. He picked himself up and stumbled home. He rushed to his bathroom to regurgitate the alcohol he had ingested the night before. On his way to his room he noticed his dusty gun belt sitting desolate in a corner. He picked it up and wiped away some of the dust. Acting on almost forgotten instincts Andy wrapped the gun belt around his waist. He pulled the gun out of his holster and watched the light gleam off the barrel. He tried to twirl it on his finger like he used to. A scowl appeared on his face when the weapon clattered to the floor.

"Damn!" He cursed in frustration. His hand was shaking.

I hope you're missing me  
I hope I've made you see  
That I'm gone forever  
And now it's coming clear  
That I don't need you here  
And in this world around me  
I'm glad you disappeared

Andy lurched to his kitchen and was relieved to see an opened bottle of hard liquor sitting on the table. He reached for it. His unsteady fingers knocked it over. No liquid came out of the bottle. He rummaged through his pants pockets for a cigarette. They were empty. He searched the entire ship. He found nothing.

Andy sat on his floor; his face buried in his hands. He suddenly jumped up in a fight of rage. Howling, he pounded his fist against Onyx's old stall. He screamed and cursed. Pictures flew from the wall. Empty beer bottles were sent sailing through the air.

"Aaaaah!" He screeched as he smashed a picture against his coffee table. Glass from the bottles and pictures cut his hands and cheeks. He finally fell on the ground; his panting was the only sound he could hear. He turned his head and he saw a happier version of himself. Standing beside him was Onyx. Andy had his arm wrapped around the horse's neck and his head was also resting on the beast's neck. Still, his panting was the only sound that he emitted. There wasn't a whinny, no scuffing of hooves on the floor, no neighs asking to be fed. Not one of those sounds could be heard. Sadly, those were the sounds he most needed to hear.

I feel so much better  
Now that you're gone forever  
I tell myself that I don't miss you at all  
I'm not lying, denying that I feel so much better now  
That you're gone forever

Andy for a moment thought himself dead, but he knew he was alive because he could hear himself breathing. The fact that he was making a noise told him that despite was he though, he indeed wasn't in Hell yet. His spirit was still trapped in the human world. It was the absence of familiar sounds that caused his despairing reveries. When Onyx was alive there was always sound. He would talk to the horse, or the horse would talk to him. The horse's snorts of irritation could make Andy chuckle in amusement. Onyx was the reason why he could survive on his own without any human companionship.

And now you're gone forever  
And now you're gone forever

His eyes caught sight of his gun. A dark idea crept into Andy's brain. He crawled over to the firearm. His hand grasped it firmly.

With automatic precision, Andy brought the gun to his head. He recalled the night his hand had moved with such precision and had given Onyx a speedy death. It would be the same for him.

Bang.

And then there wasn't a sound.


End file.
